Live Music Review: Lost In The Manor vs Hidden Herd at The Finsbury in London on 1.06.18

June 16, 2018

Following on from our first festival of the season, our appetites were aptly-wetted for what’s guaranteed to be a great summer for new music. For the latest Hidden Herd vs Lost in the Manor collaboration, we returned to The Finsbury for a night that bought forth the latest in the British indie scene.

First up we had Brighton rockers Lacuna Bloome who gave us a taste of South coast-flavoured sunshine. Their tracks had us reminiscent of melancholy musos such as Mac Demarco, although with an added depth that kept their set playful and up-tempo. Their latest release ‘Alright’ set a vibrant tone for the rest of the evening, challenging the best of the American West coast’s hazy sun-kissed melodies.

Next up we had Hidden Herd-favourites Sad Palace, who delivered their usual delectable mix of rock and synth-pop. As ever, their meticulously crafted weaving of instrumental and vocal melodies gave their set a dynamic flavour, complete with head nods and foot shuffles from the audience and band alike. One of their latest favourites ‘Honeycone’ was met with familiar ears and saw the numbers in the room begin to swell.

Our main supports Weird Milk offered a more psychedelic take on Britain’s indie scene, complete with walking basslines and rolling percussion. Coupled with pitch-perfect harmonies and shared vocals, their sound was polished and confident. With nostalgic influences spanning even as far as reggae, they bought forth flavours of the past in line with some of the growing artists of today such as FUR and Flyte. In doing so, their music has an undeniable sing-along-ability that resonated with each member of the audience. Their latest release ‘Better‘ caused the final swell in numbers for the room to reach its capacity before the final act.

As Vinyl Staircase took to the stage, there was a palpable excitement in the air that resonated throughout the venue. The Guildford rockers offered their latest injection into the UK rock scene, complete with influences littered across the past few decades.

Their latest self-titled EP release bought forth crowd-swelling tracks such as ‘Cherry’ which were delivered with an assertive confidence that had us reminiscent of The Hives. With heavy hitting chords and earworm-friendly melodies, their tracks bounced around listeners minds for long after they played.

With an assured stage presence, it was evident that this band were a group at home when performing, with their (deceptively) nonchalant aura contributing to their tongue-in cheek vibes. A vibrant, brash and colourful band, Vinyl Staircase have a solid upward trajectory from here on.